Family Trials is separate from Story progression. Don't copy a campaign guide's final character setup into Trials and assume all those tools are already available. Read the upgr…

Family Trials is separate from Story progression. Don't copy a campaign guide's final character setup into Trials and assume all those tools are already available. Read the upgrades offered in the current run and build around what you've actually received. One player report recommends John and Linda together in Trials, using John's survivability to let Linda attack. It's evidence that the pairing worked for that player, not proof that every run with those two will be easy. The items, upgrade choices, difficulty, and both players' positioning still matter. A useful way to judge a Trials choice is to ask whether it improves the actions you're already using successfully. If primary attacks are doing most of your work, an improvement that supports them has a clear job. If you're struggling to survive the gap between damage opportunities, consider that problem before chasing another offensive modifier. Reassess when new options change the build. The recurring mistakes are straightforward: blocking until empty, spending movement without checking the landing spot, assuming Rage lasts longer than it does, and refusing to reposition because John looks durable. For a learning run, watch which attacks exhaust the shield fastest. Next, practice ending an attack sequence while there's still room to retreat. Then add ability combinations. That gives you something concrete to improve rather than leaving every failed attempt at 'I guess John needs more damage.' His defensive options are valuable when you use them to choose a better fight.